Chinese juniper is a species native to Asia. Its ornamental varieties are grown in Poland. It complements a Japanese rock garden, or can be used to create a hedge. Chinese juniper is also shaped into a bonsai shrub with the use of pruning cuts.
Numerous varieties of Chinese juniper have been created, differing in shape, height, and the color of the needles. One bush as well as several hybrids can be cultivated in the garden. The different varieties go hand in hand and look decorative.
Chinese juniper: description and varieties
Chinese juniper (Juniperus chinensis) is an evergreen shrub native to East Asia. Sometimes it grows up to a tree twenty meters high. It belongs to the cypress family. In nature, it is found on the islands of Japan, Korea, Mongolia and China. It grows up to 2,300 m above sea level. Shrub varieties are known and cultivated in the gardens and parks of Central Europe.
Chinese juniper - appearance: a shrub with green needles being its young foliage. Over time, scaly needles appear on it, and the color changes to red. This process occurs in winter in many coniferous shrubs. In spring, Chinese juniper regains its natural green color. The needles at the base have a white, waxy coating. The species emits a characteristic juniper smell. Cones appear on female plants. They are a centimeter in diameter. Initially green, then blue. The seeds ripen in the second year.
Cultivated varieties of Chinese juniper in the shape of a cone or a column create hedges and labyrinths in gardens. They can also be used to separate parts of the garden or mark out a path. A shrub that allows it to be shaped in the form of stunted bonsai trees. Low varieties complement rockeries, they grow over hills, are planted near walls and larger decorative stones. Chinese juniper looks good among heathers and other coniferous shrubs.
In Poland, Chinese juniper bushes are cultivated with attractive shapes, heights and even colors. The following can be distinguished:
- Chinese juniper "Stricta Variegata"- is a coniferous shrub with an attractive variety, growing up to 2.5 m in height. It has a conical structure. Juniper has green needles that shimmer blue. Fragments of twigs and needles are cream colored. It grows moderately fast, has low requirements and is frost-resistant.It needs a sunny position, slightly shaded. Prefers an acidic substrate,
- Chinese juniper "Spartan"also known as the "Helle" variety, it is a tall shrub with a columnar habit. It grows up to five meters. The tops of the branches are uneven in height. The whole juniper is light green in color with blue cones growing on it. It adds charm and decorativeness to the plant. Prefers acidic soils and a moist substrate. It is a variety resistant to sub-zero temperatures, even -29 degrees Celsius,
- Chinese juniper "Old Gold"is a variety that grows up to 1.5 meters. It reaches a diameter of about two meters. Its needles are golden in color,
- Chinese juniper "Monarch"is a tree variety, initially conical, later - columnar. Its needles are cyan,
- Chinese juniper "Blue Alps"reaches a height of three meters. It has very sharp silver needles. Branchy and branchy shrub. Fully resistant to frost,
- Chinese juniper "Repanda"is a dwarf variety. It has a creeping habit, reaching up to three meters in width. The branches of this shrub are arranged like roof tiles and are soft. The needles do not sting and turn slightly brown in winter. It grows beautifully on slopes and in gardens situated on hills. The bush grows slowly, it grows only 10 centimeters a year.
Chinese juniper: how to plant?
Chinese juniper - requirements: most varieties of Chinese juniper grow quickly. The exceptions are low and stunted varieties. The shrub has low job requirements. Prefers a sunny, slightly shaded position. The pH of the substrate should be acidic, as in the case of most conifers. Chinese juniper needs a sandy, well-drained substrate of medium fertility.
Chinese juniper - cultivation: the shrub is able to grow even in the shade, although it will probably not reach its maximum dimensions on this site.Low varieties are able to develop even under other trees. The best time to plant shrubs is in the fall (September, October), and also in the spring (April, May).
It is best to obtain ready-made bush seedlings for planting. You can also try your hand at reproducing. However, this is a difficult process. In late summer, the twigs with the heel are cut off. After immersion in the rooting agent, young cuttings must be placed in a container with soil. They should be provided with warmth and humidity of the base.
What are the causes of drying needles / scales on Chinese juniper?
Chinese juniper (Juniperus chinensis) is an undemanding evergreen shrub or tree that is well adapted to our climate and belongs to the cypress family. Chinese junipers have two kinds of reduced leaves: short needles on young shoots and scales on older shoots. This is important because the needles may dry out for a different reason than the drying of the scales.If in the period from April to September you observe browning of the needles and withering of the tips of young shoots, the plant was probably attacked by the fungus Phomopsis juniperovora, which causes the juniper shoot dieback. Drying out of scales and entire shoots is a sign that the plant may have been inhabited by uninvited guests, the larvae of the Licinka butterfly. Regardless of the season, the browning and drying of juniper scales from the root to the tip signals a lack of water and a prolonged physiological drought. Please remember that for the correct diagnosis of the disease, you always need as many details as possible - the date of the first symptoms, the course of the disease to date, the shape and color of the observed changes, parts of the plants affected by the disease. It is worth supplementing such a description with clear photos. Only then will an expert be able to help you effectively. In order to correctly identify the disease and select the appropriate method of plant protection, I also encourage you to visit your local garden shop with a fragment of the plant where the problem is clearly visible.This will facilitate recognition and accelerate the treatment of the plant.
- says Dr. Eng. Tomasz Mróz
Chinese juniper: care
Chinese juniper is resistant to low temperatures, tolerates winter and frost well. It doesn't need covering. However, it is worth tying it with a rope so that the layer of heavy snow does not break the branches. You can also regularly brush the snow off the bush. In spring and summer, there is no need to fertilize Chinese juniper. Watering can also be reduced. Rainwater and groundwater are enough for it to grow.
Chinese juniper - care pruning depends on the type of juniper and the habit we plan to shape the bush for. Most often, however, cuts are made to control plant growth and when it disturbs neighboring plants. It tolerates spring and autumn pruning well. It is worth controlling the habit of the cultivated bush.Thanks to the proper management of the plant, we are able to eliminate some fungal diseases.
Chinese juniper: plant diseases
Chinese juniper is quite resistant to diseases and pests.It can be attacked by aphids (juniper lychees and juniper lichens), as well as juniper scales.If the shrub has been attacked by pests, then you need to use contact preparations to control them.
Juniper can be infected with a fungal disease, the so-calledphytophthoraThe fungus attacks the roots of the plant, causing the entire bush to die off. Chinese juniper dies, its branches turn brown and wilt. The plant attacked in this way should be dug up immediately and burned.
Juniper rash , is a disease caused by a fungus. It attacks the needles, as a result of which they turn yellow, die and fall off spontaneously. To get rid of it, you need to spray it with a fungus-fighting agent.
Another disease that can affect Chinese juniper isshoot diebackThe tops of the branches wilt, turn yellow, and then die. The entire plant is thus infected. To remove the disease, you need to quickly notice the problem, cut down the affected branches and spray the entire bush.
Dieback of Chinese juniper shoots can be triggered by an attackgray moldGarden shrubs need more space to prevent disease. Heat and moisture in the plant cluster cause the multiplication of pathogens. Thanks to proper planting and care, there will be airflow between the plants, preventing fungal infection.
